


Pillow Forts and Promises

by trash_kid



Category: The Folk of the Air - Holly Black
Genre: F/M, Fluff, GET IT, I swear, Pregnancy, SO MUCH FLUFF, Unplanned Pregnancy, because it's a pillow fort, but its not about the song, cardan is having doubts, inspired by taylor swift's song stay stay stay, it just has that vibe, it makes it fluffier, jude is having doubts, literally fluffy, tho it do be fluffy on its own, u can listen to it while reading this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-24
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-15 07:09:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29680287
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/trash_kid/pseuds/trash_kid
Summary: The very pregnant Jude Duarte Greenbriar doesn't know whether she and Cardan would make good parents.Cardan convinces her that they would... with his pillow fort.
Relationships: Jude Duarte/Cardan Greenbriar
Comments: 12
Kudos: 97





	1. One

**Author's Note:**

> This work was inspired by Taylor Swift's song called Stay Stay Stay! This lyric in particular: "I'd like to hang out with you for my whole life" that whole song was the vibe of this fic. You can listen to it while reading, so you catch my drift hehe. Only if u want tho!!
> 
> Without further ado...

Jude absolutely _hated_ being pregnant. 

In five short months, she watched herself transform from the fearsome, formidable leader of a whole kingdom to a fragile, hormonal husk of a girl. That is to say, she witnessed the drastic difference in her physical appearance. She now sported dark purple eye bags––gifts from her insomnia on those nights when she had little to no sleep. Her stomach was only beginning to be noticeably round, yet she bloated and gained weight like a water balloon. Her once perky breasts were now heavier, almost spilling out of every brasserie she wore, much to her husband’s delight. On top of that, said breasts were getting more and more tender every day. It only took an accidental brush of cloth on her ever-pebbled nipple to make her vastly uncomfortable. 

As if her physical changes weren’t enough, pregnancy also caused her to miss almost half of the Living Council’s meetings. _Cardan_ attended them more than she, which said a lot. Sometimes, she did not bother to leave her bed chambers on particularly restless nights. But when she did make it to meetings, she excused herself every ten minutes, either to urinate or to regurgitate. The vomiting was especially cruel. She vomited regardless of how much she ate. When she devoured everything atop the dinner table, she vomited. When she ate nothing but ice cubes, she vomited. There was no escaping it. There was nothing she could do to make it go away. 

However, Jude Duarte Greenbriar was still the High Queen of Elfhame. She was still expected to attend to her duties alongside the High King. She listened to petitioners. She donated to charitable causes. She attended revels. She was clothed in gold and silver, in jewels and gems to represent the land’s abundance. No matter how horrible she felt, Tatterfell and her ladies-in-waiting never allowed for it to show. At least not through her outward appearance.

On a particularly chilly night, Jude was summoned to another meeting about the the designation of land for the island of Insear. The royal couple had decided against claiming the island as their own. Instead, they opted to make it a sanctuary for the homeless. Insear would be their home. There was just the matter of _which_ homeless Fae, in particular, gets to inhabit it, thus the meeting.

Before her pregnancy, Jude had always been eager to attend these meetings. Her fresh perspective and more humanitarian takes on certain subjects allowed for fewer conflicts and more peace. However, she found it more difficult to summon the will to attend as of late. She placated herself by chalking it up to Cardan’s child in her belly. 

Slowly, begrudgingly, Jude made her way to the meeting. 

Upon entering, everybody stood and bowed. She dismissed them with a wave of her hand. “As you were,” she said.

Cardan was not on the throne next to hers. She raised a brow but restrained herself from asking for his whereabouts. The last time she saw him was at breakfast. He had scarfed down the lamb venison at the speed of light and excused himself, claiming to have forgotten something in their rooms. She watched him go. Then, the guards announced the arrival of Vivi and Heather from the mortal world. They had brought Chinese takeout, bubble tea, cheeseburgers, and strawberry frappuccinos for her and Cardan. 

That was another thing about Jude’s pregnancy that she hated. Her sense of smell rejected just about anything cooked at the palace. One whiff of any fresh, home-cooked meal and she would retch into the nearest chamber pot. Mortal food, however, she had no particular aversion towards. So Vivi and Heather visited as often as they could to fuel her appetite. They brought some food for Cardan as well. They learned to include him when one day he had asked his wife for a McNugget and almost ended up with a butter knife through his palm.

Now, she stared at his empty throne in irritation. _Where was he?_

Apparently, people were thinking the same thing. 

“We will begin as soon as the High King arrives,” Randalin announced.

Jude sighed and stared out the window into the night sky, letting her mind wander. Her hands went to her belly, round and protruding. Her regular anxious thoughts about the baby in her womb plagued her mind. For some time, she ignored all idle chatter in the room in favor of dwelling on her recurring nightmares.

Jude was good at many things. There was sword fighting, lying, sneaking around, and pissing the Fae off, but she had absolutely no idea how to be a good parent. She was raised by cold and severe Madoc, whose parenting skills left much to be desired. According to Vivi, her actual parents were much more loving and nurturing, but Jude honestly did not remember enough of them for her to adopt their ways. Oriana was the closest she had to the ideal parental figure, and even then, she was only ever Oak’s mother.

Cardan, on the other hand, was not much better. He practically raised himself––if not the cat whose milk had sustained him when he weaned. Lady Asha and Eldred were horrible to him. Apart from that, he was raised by Balekin in the comfort of whips and cruelty.

They were royally fucked.

Literally.

Like the irresponsible teenagers they were, they had forgone protection every single time they made love. It was only a matter of time. They hadn’t even talked about children before Jude had fallen pregnant. It was understood that they were expected to sire heirs in the future, but they hadn’t quite thought it would be so early. 

Of course, she understood that it was her decision whether to push through with it or not. Vivi and Heather provided her with pamphlets from abortion clinics, so that should she ever doubt, she would know where to go. She dismissed them at the time. She decided to accept this pregnancy and carry full-term. But if she was being honest with herself, she was having second thoughts.

Then, she chided herself. Bold of her to think she would even be fortunate enough to carry to full-term. For one, there was the effect of mithridatism. She had stopped dosing herself with various poisons long ago, but she had no idea whether they had long-term effects. And then there was the fact that a whopping twenty percent of pregnancies ended in miscarriages. Even if the baby in her womb was part-human––who are known to have better chances at pregnancies––these odds were not good enough. If Jude found out she had a twenty percent chance of losing a duel, she simply would not fight. To her, twenty percent was absolutely tremendous.

And so Jude worried. She worried for the baby whose life was still being debated. She worried for herself and for Cardan, as the baby’s fate relied on them. She worried for Elfhame––its future quite literally in her hands.

A knight entered the room, interrupting her spiraling train of thought. “The High King is unwell. He wishes to tell Her Majesty and the Living Council to begin the meeting without him.”

The room became silent as soon as the knight was dismissed and Randalin introduced that night’s topic of discussion––land designation on Insear.

Jude was only half-listening, however. She was irked by her husband’s absence, her worries now taking a different path from earlier. _Unwell_ ? She thought. _He looked fine at breakfast._ Jude wrung her hands together and tried to listen to what they were saying.

The meeting was over before she knew it. They had cut it short, deciding not to make any decisions without Cardan present. Jude had not protested. As a matter of fact, she agreed with them. Insear was Cardan’s island after all. It was only right that he would be present during its deliberations. 

So Jude stepped out and made a beeline to the throne room, opting to perform her queenly duties there.

She was stopped by The Bomb in her path. “Jude,” she said with a knowing smile on her face.

“Hi,” she greeted. 

At The Bomb’s prolonged silence, Jude asked, “Is there anything you need?”

“Oh, me? No, no,” she said. “The High King, however, requires your presence in the royal chambers.”

“Cardan?” Jude raised a brow. “Is he alright?” She felt guilty about thinking of him unfairly in his absence during the meeting. _What if he had actually felt sick?_

“He is.” The Bomb’s smile was starting to become very unnerving.

“Then why––”

“He says it is of utmost urgency and you must go now.”

This alarmed her. “Oh. Alright.” Jude was accompanied by her white-haired friend from the throne room to their chambers.

“What’s wrong? Has something happened to him?” Jude asked.

The Bomb smiled in response. 

“Liliver, please. You have to tell me––”

At the use of her given name, The Bomb forwent Jude’s title as well. “You’ll know soon enough, Jude.” The members of the Court of Shadows were the only people who referred to her as Jude nowadays, apart from her siblings. She didn’t mind. She preferred her own name, especially since they were dear friends to her. 

They arrived at the massive double doors of the king and queen’s chambers. The Bomb stopped, opening the door for her and gesturing with one hand for her to come inside. The door shut behind her as soon as she did. Jude turned back and realized that The Bomb had left her alone.

Jude raised a brow. _Strange._

“Cardan?” She called out.

A muffled voice came from the direction of the bedroom. “In here!”

Jude made her way across the foyer and towards the bedroom doors. She opened them and immediately, her vision was flooded with light. Chandeliers and wall sconces were aglow with fire, making the room appear yellow-tinted and luminous. But that was not the reason why Jude did a double-take.

Their bed was not in its usual spot in the center of the room. It was pushed to the side and in its place were piles of big, white pillows, thrown on top of each other, extending to triple Jude’s height. Blankets littered the floor and hung from curtain rods, chandeliers, and windows. Not a single flat surface was in sight. Only pillows and blankets.

The tall, massive room was converted into a pillow fort.

And standing in the middle of it, looking smug and pompous, was the High King of Elfhame himself. 

“Surprise.” He smirked.


	2. Two

The tall, massive room was converted into a pillow fort.

And standing in the middle of it, looking smug and pompous, was the High King of Elfhame himself. 

“Surprise.” He smirked.

Jude was rendered speechless.

A lone feather landed on her husband’s shoulder and he brushed it away with the back of his hand. His cocky expression fell as his arm accidentally toppled the towering mountain of pillows to his right. The pillows fell on top of him and Cardan used his arms to shield his body, crying out.

A slow smirk spread on Jude’s face at her husband’s misfortune. 

“Jude,” his muffled voice called from under the white expanse. “A little help, please?”

His hand emerged from the pile and Jude stepped further into the room, taking it and helping him up. His hair was completely covered in down feathers. She reached up, plucking them out.

“What’s all this?” Jude gestured vaguely at the room when the feathers were no longer tangled in his black tresses.

Cardan beamed. “It is a stronghold built with cushions,” he said proudly, looking around. 

“It’s a pillow fort.” Jude deadpanned. _A really, really big one._

“Essentially.” Cardan nodded. “It is the _royal_ pillow fort,” he emphasized

“And you are a _royal_ pain in the ass.” Jude pointed her finger at his face and Cardan pretended to bite it off, eliciting a playful glare from his wife.

He picked a pillow off of the ground and stacked it on top of another. “Come and help me rebuild.”

“Why?” Jude protested, bending over (with difficulty) to pick up a pillow, nonetheless.

“So we can play make-believe in the pillow fort,” Cardan said matter-of-factly, taking two more.

She sighed. “I don’t know,” Jude said. “This looks so comfy. Can’t we just lie down and sleep?”

Cardan turned to her, hurt. He whined, “But I spent all night making this.”

Jude frowned in confusion. “All night? Is that why you didn’t come to the council meeting?”

Cardan’s lips spread in a mischievous smile in response. He took another pillow wordlessly and stacked it.

Jude slapped his arm. Hard. He flinched.“You idiot. I was worried about you. The knight said you were unwell.”

“I am unwell.” Jude raised her brows at that and gave him a look. Cardan’s smile wavered. “Unwell because I worry about you, alright? You look like you’re having a hard time with the pregnancy. No, I know you are––don’t deny it.”

Jude closed her mouth.

“I know that you would rather duel to the death than admit you’re having a hard time, so I just want to help. In any way that I can. There’s not much I can do about it, actually, but then I remembered what used to make me happy when I was younger, and…” then he raised his arms with palms up, gesturing to the gigantic pillow fort. “I thought you should be happy, too.”

Jude was very good at schooling her features. So when her heart warmed up and her husband wrote his name all over it with his short speech, it didn’t show on her face. “Okay but,” Jude began. “That’s not the only reason. You did this for your own childish delight as well.”

He mock-frowned. “I will not dignify your claim with a response.”

Jude shook her head fondly, handing him another pillow. Cardan gingerly placed it on top of the others, causing the pile to stand taller than him.

Jude asked, “What of our duties? There are petitioners in the throne room, and they will––”

“They will wait,” Cardan almost growled, his tail twitching from side to side. “Their High King and High Queen require time away to attend to a personal emergency.”

“And… _this_ ,” Jude looked around. “Is a personal emergency?”

“Unquestionably.” Cardan’s gaze burned into her.

Jude sighed, giving up. She supposed there was no point in arguing now. After all, the damage had already been done. There was no undoing Cardan’s pillow fort. “Alright.” She walked over to him and aligned the heap of pillows, making sure they wouldn’t topple over from the lightest touch.

A minute later, the pillows were stacked and sturdy once again.

“Done.” Cardan stepped back and admired his work. “What do you think?”

Jude stepped back and appraised the room, taking in the little details for the first time. In one corner, there was an elevated mattress, held up with pillows. In order to access that area, one had to step on the other pillows masquerading as stairs. The canopies above corresponded with a room. There were barriers of blankets and duvets for walls. Stuffed toys were also littered around the room in various poses. Behind one thin blanket was the shadow of two stuffed animals, one lying atop the other. They looked to be doing something indecent.

Jude unsuccessfully resisted the urge to chuckle.

“I think,” Jude said. “You’re insane. Crazy. Out of your goddamn mind.”

Cardan turned to her. “I’ll tell you a secret.” He leaned in. “All the best people are.” He said with a smirk.

Jude caught the Alice in Wonderland reference. “Did you just quote the Mad Hatter at me?”

“Mad Hatter?” He asked in faux confusion. “I know plenty of hatters, and I know plenty of mad men, but I know not a single mad hatter––ouch! Stop hitting me!” Cardan rubbed the area of his arm that Jude had slapped.

Jude stepped forward, her feet sinking into the softness of feathers. “This is… just…” she trailed off, speechless.

“You like it?” He asked, eyes hungrily searching for her approval. “It’s your kingdom. It was built with you in mind.”

“I do like it,” Jude admitted. “I love it. I’ve never been in a pillow fort before.”

Cardan looked offended. “You haven’t? That explains why you’re so––” He stopped himself at the scathing look on his wife’s face. He smiled sheepishly instead and said, “Here, come.” 

He took her hand and interlaced their fingers together. Blood rushed into Jude’s cheeks. They had been together for a long time, but he still managed to make her feel so incredibly smitten. 

Cardan led her to one of the makeshift rooms. He said, “this is your throne room, Your Majesty. As you can see, it is fit for a queen.” He gestured at the blanket walls and canopied ceilings as though they were made of fine gold and marble.

“If I am a queen, then what are you?”

“I am but a lowly knight in Her Majesty’s fluffy kingdom,” Cardan said seriously. He elicited a rare giggle from his wife. “Call me Sir Cordan.” He bowed low at the waist.

“In that case, call me Queen…” she thought for a moment. “Jade.” She curtseyed just as low as he, fully aware that this was not the custom in Elfhame.

“Very well, Queen Jade,” Cardan said, trying very hard not to smile when Jude started to play along. “To thee, I pledge my life, my service, and my devilishly handsome smile. These are yours, and yours alone. Pray, what is your first command as the queen of this vast land?”

She smiled, unable to keep it in for much longer. “I wish for a royal feast. A revel, if you will. It will be in honor of that––” she pointed at the pile of pillows they erected together moments ago, “––rebuilt tower. The Tower of… Remembering.”

Cardan’s obedient, knightly expression broke. He laughed out loud and leaned in to whisper in her ear. “That wasn’t very creative, Jude.” His tail swished in delight.

“Shh,” Jude chided. “Don’t tell Queen Jade.”

His stoic expression returned, but his tail gave his true emotions away as it stood and waved around cheerfully. “Your wish is my command. Nay, your _command_ is my command.” Cardan winked, no doubt remembering the day of Taryn and Locke’s wedding. “You shall have the grandest revel in all the land. Cups will overflow with wine. Musicians will play until their fingers fall off. And everyone will remember your name.” He paused. “For when do you want the revel, Your Majesty?”

“Now. I want it now.”  
  


“Now?” Cardan panicked exaggeratedly. “Well, I’d best show you to the great hall, then. Quickly, before the partygoers litter these vestibules.”

He lifted a sheet and Jude bent to pass under it. It was the room with a mattress. She climbed up the steps and found a low, rectangular formation of pillows with seats on either side. “Here is the banquet table. And here––” Cardan closed his fist around thin air and offered it to Jude. “Is your wine. Fresh from the soles of the best winemakers in the world.”

She pretended to take it. “Thank you, dear Sir Cordan.”  
  


“Oh, don’t thank me yet, Ju––Queen Jade,” he added quickly. Jude chuckled, sitting on the cushion at the head of the pretend-table. “Look! Revelers, here they come.”

Cardan dashed to a corner of the room and retrieved stuffed animals––a goat, a pig, and two frogs. He placed them on top of cushions to Jude’s left. He went away again, grabbing the fornicating couple of toys behind the sheet and plopped them to her right. Finally, he retrieved the last of the animals and set them down, filling all the empty seats. He took the seat at the opposite end of the table, the one meant for the king. As a knight, he wouldn’t be permitted to sit at the head, but Jude supposed he had done it out of habit.

“Is the bear’s pickled liver to your liking, Your Majesty?” Cardan asked, miming a knife and fork, popping the imaginary food into his mouth.

Jude mimicked him, slicing into her pickled bear liver and taking a pretend-bite. “Mmm! Oh, yes, very much. Pass on my compliments to the cook. Delicious.” She laughed genuinely, loudly at the ridiculous charade. 

Cardan’s eyes lit up at the sound. To him, it was the most beautiful sound in the world. He did not know it at the time, but that was the exact moment he vowed to fish it out of her every single day for the rest of their shared lives. 

He was encouraged even further to play the charade. He said, “It is now time for entertainment.” He stood, extending his hand to one of the stuffed frogs. “Lady Ribbit, won’t you take my hand and dance?” He picked up the toy and started moving wildly.

Cardan was an excellent dancer, Jude knew. But as he jerked his hips side-to-side in mock-drunkenness, she completely forgot that he was more graceful than she could ever aspire to be.

Jude said, “Sir Cordan, did it ever occur to you that you are not dancing to a tune?”

He said, “Ah! Why yes, Queen Jade, you appear to be correct. Not to worry, I have it under control. Ahem––” From his lips burst an off-beat, pitchy sound that fluctuated violently from his chest to his head in split seconds. His face matched the tune, his mouth forming a wide ‘o’ and his brows drawing together in concentration. 

Jude burst out laughing, forgetting herself. 

She laughed and laughed. She laughed as Cardan dropped the frog and placed his hands on his hips in faux irritation. She laughed as he cracked a smile and joined her. And she laughed until she clutched her belly and tears fell from her eyes. She hadn’t laughed like this in ages. “Please––” she finally said in between delightful shrieks. “Stop––singing!”

“What was that?” Cardan asked. “I should sing even more, you say? Why, if my Queen wishes for me to sing until I run out of breath, then sing I shall!” At that, Cardan resumes his aggressive wailing, making Jude a slave to tears. “I beseech you kindly––come, Queen Jade. It is about time _you_ danced with your lowly knight.”

He pulled her up and took her in his arms, swaying and spinning with her in awkward, jerky movements. He was still singing. Jude wiped her eyes with her sleeve. It was ridiculous, but Jude wondered why she didn’t laugh more often.

  
  


She found his rhythm and joined the musical, tone-deaf assault of a song. Jude hadn’t thought it would be possible, but she was even _worse_ than he was. Cardan’s eyes widened. They erupted into boisterous laughter at the realization that neither of them could sing. He spun her around and dipped her, making the tune of their song even more scandalously atrocious as a result of their movements.

Outside the room, a figure lingered. Her white hair peeked through the hooded cloak she wore. She cracked open the door by only a sliver to the High King and High Queen’s bedroom, delighted at the sight of the royal couple dancing and singing their hearts out, albeit in mockery. 

She was incredibly glad, for Jude had been very un-Jude as of late because of her pregnancy, and Cardan had been very un-Cardan out of worry for his wife. The whole kingdom knew it, too. Plants refused to bloom with flowers or sprout with fruits. The sun never shone as brightly. The wind was chilly. Citizens of Elfhame were alarmed at the change.

The High King and High Queen were tied to the land.

It had only been a few minutes, but the world had already begun returning to its lush state from before Jude had fallen pregnant. The change was notable, from the birds singing up high, to the grass growing down low. And so the woman checked to see why that was. 

She watched as the High King tripped over a stuffed frog on the floor, landing on his back. The woman almost rushed in to check up on him, but Jude doubled over, laughing even harder. She bent her knees and hovered over her husband on the floor, taking him by the collar and kissing his lips with a big grin on her face.

At that, The Bomb smiled and shut the door.

Jude pressed her lips to Cardan’s once more, failing to keep a straight face. 

“You––” 

_Kiss_. 

“Are––” 

_Kiss_. 

“Unbelievable.” 

_Kiss._

Cardan looked up at the light of his life, the soreness of his back, forgotten. “You love me, though.”

She smiled. “I do.” She kissed him once more, her tongue invading his lips and tangling with his. “Even if you can’t sing and you dance like there are fire ants inside your shoes,” she said when she pulled away.

He placed his hand at the nape of her neck and pulled her down again, his lips colliding with hers. He kissed her slowly, savoring the sweet taste that he could only describe as wholly, truly, and wonderfully Jude. His hands cupped her face tenderly, cradling her.

“Cardan––” she said, her voice muffled by his lips.

“Yes, my unmusical bride?”

“I have a question.” She pulled away and looked at his oddly mismatched outfit, only realizing it now. “What are you wearing?”

“This?” He took the ivory fabric of his top between his fingers. “It’s a tunic. Isn’t it excruciatingly plain? It should be a crime for any piece of clothing to be this devastating.” He surveyed himself. “If you tell anyone I wore this, I will not speak to you for two moons,” Cardan said seriously. If the words crossed his lips, they must be true.

“No, no.” Jude chuckled, the smile never gone from her face. “I meant those. Those sweatpants.”

“Oh,” Cardan said, eyeing the black mortal sweatpants. “Vivi gave these to me for my birthday, remember?” Her fingers ran over the print on his thigh area. “Apparently, she thinks I’m supreme.”

Jude slapped his thigh playfully. “Supreme doesn’t describe you, you dolt. It’s the brand.”

He frowned in contemplation. “I think you are lying.”

“No, really,” Jude insisted.

“I refuse to believe that Vivi does not consider me supreme.”

“Yeah? Let’s ask her when she gets back. How about that?”

“Fair. For an odd mortal such as yourself.”

Jude slapped his thigh again, and he swatted her hand away. Cardan protested, “Hey! What is it with you and slapping? That actually hurt, Jude––” he was silenced with another of Jude’s smiling kisses.

“How’s that for an apology?” She asked.

“Hmm…” Cardan pretended to contemplate. “I don’t know. I think one more should do the trick.”

Jude chuckled but gave in.

For the first time in months, Jude was completely and unapologetically happy. Cardan had managed to single-handedly pull her out of the default anxious state she was in since day one of her pregnancy. All it took was a pillow fort and some bad singing. 

If she could, she would command the sun to stop rising so she could live in this moment forever.

When she pulled away, she looked into his gold-rimmed eyes and said in all seriousness, “Thank you.”

Cardan tilted his head. “For what, love?” He tucked her fallen hair back behind her ear.

“For this. The pillow fort. The make-believe. Everything. I… I didn’t know how much I needed it until you showed me. You’ve made me very happy today.”

“And to think you wanted to sleep instead. You’d have deprived Lady Ribbit of the most thrilling dance of her life.” He chuckled and said seriously after a pause, “All I want is for you to be happy.”

They were both quiet for a moment as Cardan’s hand slipped under her dress and rested on her belly. His light touch traced continents over her skin, leaving goosebumps in their wake. Jude’s breath hitched. “I have a feeling that...” his eyes found hers. “We share the same fear. I see it in your eyes, sometimes. I see that you are terrified of this baby.”

Jude nodded. “I am,” she admitted quietly.

“So am I,” Cardan shrugged. “I’m afraid I’ll turn into my father. Or my mother. And I’m afraid you’ll turn into Madoc.” Jude frowned, not liking where this conversation was heading. “We have been wronged so many times by the people who raised us, and frankly, Jude, we’re _damaged_. How are we supposed to raise a whole person this way? Much less the next ruler of Elfhame?” 

Jude was speechless. He was voicing out her exact concerns.

Cardan continued. “We only have one shot at this. But you know what?” He drew himself up on his elbows and looked into her eyes. “We won’t mess it up. I sincerely, truly believe that.” 

His eyes flitted back and forth between hers as though he was reading. “I promise you, Jude Duarte Greenbriar, that I will be better than my parents. I will do my very best to raise our child in love and acceptance, the way that you and I should have been.”

She returned the vow. “And I promise you, Cardan Greenbriar, that I will be better than my father. I will do my very best to raise our child in love and acceptance, the way that you and I should have been.” Jude’s eyes welled up in tears, this time, no longer of laughter, but joy. The purest, most concentrated form of joy.

“Jude? Why are you crying? What’s wrong?” Cardan sat up fully, taking his wife’s face into his hands. He brushed her tears away with his thumbs. 

“Nothing. Absolutely nothing is wrong. Everything is right. I think that...” Her heart was so full. So, so, full. Full of love for the man she was lucky enough to call her husband. But also, her heart was beginning to fill up with love for their unborn child, as well. “You are going to be an excellent father,” Jude said, pressing her hand to his cheek. He leaned into it. She thought of the way Cardan went out of his way to single-handedly build a pillow fort and managed to acquaint both himself and Jude with childish pleasures. He dissolved her fears significantly and prepared them for what was sure to come. “When this child is welcomed into the world, it will be so loved, it wouldn't know what to do with all of it. Our baby will want for nothing.”

Cardan kissed her, then. Slow and steady. In between kisses, Jude swore she heard him mutter, “I love you.” 

“I love you,” she said back just as quietly.

Jude said when they pulled away, “I can’t wait.”

“For what?” Cardan asked.

“For the rest of our lives. We will build our pillow fort anytime we want to. Especially when this little one comes.” Jude guided Cardan’s hand to her belly. 

Cardan’s eyes lingered on her abdomen in awe for a moment and said, “We won’t mess this up.”

“We won’t mess this up,” Jude echoed.

And they didn’t. In the months to come, Jude and Cardan would take every precaution they could and they would verse themselves in the language of parenting and gentleness. Their baby would arrive with little complication and they would raise her the way they were not. Their child would grow up surrounded with love and kindness, and she would become the most respected and beloved ruler of Elfhame for hundreds of thousands of years.

But at this moment, Jude and Cardan knew not of what was to come. At this moment, they stood from the ground and continued to play make-believe to their heart’s content. 

  
Later, she would hold a sleeping Cardan in her arms and Jude would think, _maybe being pregnant wouldn’t be so bad, after all._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the end! I hope you guys like it ❤️ it would mean so much to me if you let me know your thoughts and opinions through a review! thanks for reading and I hope u have a great day!
> 
> PS: I am totally pro-choice. This fic is not meant to persuade anyone into accepting a pregnancy or forgoing an abortion. Do with your body what you will. I just thought Jude would 100% want to have the baby with Cardan but she'd also be like 100% worried so she might have doubts or whatever. 
> 
> oki that's it I love u bye!


End file.
